“Indeed, whenever it was said to them, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,’ they behaved arrogantly and said, ‘Are we really to abandon our gods for a mad poet?’”1.

— The seventh condition is submission, which excludes abandonment. Whoever declares that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah must submit to Allah’s law, yield to His judgment, and surrender himself to Allah. By doing so, he holds fast to the declaration that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. Allah Most High therefore says: “Whoever submits himself to Allah while doing good has certainly grasped the firmest handhold”2, meaning that he has held fast to the declaration that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. Thus, He—Glorified is He—made submission to His law a condition, and this is achieved by surrendering oneself to Him—Glorified is He.

These, then, are the conditions of the declaration that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. What is intended is not merely to count and memorize their wording. Many a layperson fulfills and observes all of them, yet would be unable to enumerate them if asked; and many a person who has memorized their wording rattles them off as swiftly as an arrow, yet often falls into what contradicts them. What is required, therefore, is knowledge and action together, so that one may truly be among the people of the declaration that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and genuinely among the people of the declaration of monotheism. Allah alone grants success and aid in achieving this. We therefore ask Him—Glorified is He—to enable us and you to realize it. All praise belongs to Allah alone.